Cabinet ironing board



Nov.

1,560,962 C. D. AGEE l CABINET IRoNING BOARD Filed Oct. 17, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 10, 1925.

, lsaez PATENT OFFICE'.

GHARLEY D. AGEE, OIEDAA'LAS, TEXAS.,

cABINE'r momias BOARD.

Application led October 17, 1922. Serial No. 595,043.

T0 all *whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLEY D. Assn, a citizen of Vthe United States, residing at Dallas, inthe county ot Dallas and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cabinet 'Ironing Boards, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates; to new and useful improvements in cabinet ironing boards.

The object of the invention isto provide a cabinet having a pair of superposed doors operativelyconnected to an ironing board in such a manner as to be raised into a closed position when the board is pushed down into the cabinet, and lowered into a parallel position when the cabinet is opened and the board extended.

A further object is to .arrange the doors so that the upper one travels faster than the lower door, whereby the doors are brought to a parallel position when fully open and toa superposed position when fully closed. Another object is to connect the board with the sliding doors in such a manner as to cause it to move i-n harmony therewith.

A still further object of the invention is to provide spring means for aiding in raising the board from its horizontal position and also in cushioning its downward movement. Another object is to provide means for taking up the slack in the flexible connections.

A construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafter described together with other features of the invention.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which an example of the invention is shownand wherein:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a cabinet constructed in accordance with my inventionand showing the saine open and the ironing board extended, Fig. 2 is a similarview showing the cabinet closed,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view on the line 3-4-3 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail of one of the upper chain pulleys,

Fig. 5`is an enlarged detail of one of the door ,raising pulleys and component parts,

" Fig. 76 is a front elevationof'thecabinet in its closed position, aportion of the lower front being omitted to show interior construction, Y

VFig. 7 is a similar view of the cabinet in its open position, the upper portion being omitte v Fig. 8 is a detail of one of the ironing board slides, and

Fig. 9 is an enlarged detail showing one of the hinge mountings of the board.

In the drawings the numerallO designates an upright casing or compartment rectangular in cross-section and provided with a tacing frame 11 atA its front side. The lower portion of the frame is closed by a panel 12 above which is disposed a transverse apron 13` supporting a transverse sill 14 above which the frame is open. The sill projects outwardly and is braced by brackets 15.

On each side of the casing is mounted vertical guide strips or members 16 and 17,

respectively, which are spacedapart toprovide opposite vertical channels or guideways 18. The strips 16 are disposed against the rear wall of the casing, while the strips "17 have their front edges substantially flush with the rear sides of the frame 1l which is oilset laterally as isbest shown in Fig. 3', to form a front verticalchannel or" guideway 19. A iinishing traine 2O mounted'on the `:trame 11 and extending upwardly from the y sill 14 overhangs the channel 19. The guide strip l17 has a widened section 17 at its upper end on each side, the rear edge of each being flush with the rear edge of the strip and the :tront edge extending into the channel 19.

An upper door 21 and alower door 22 are arranged to slide in the channels 19 and these doors are placed one in front of the other, their combined thickness being such as to permit an easy sliding in said channels. To the upper edge of each side of the upper door 21`is attached one end of a chainor other liexible connection 23. These chains pass up the channels 19 and each is received in a verticalgroove 17a in the front edge of the correlated section 17 In the upperportion of each section 17 is jour naled a pulley 24 as is shown in detail in Fig. 4 and over which the chain passes. From the pulley each chain passes down a groove 17b in the rear edge of each strip 17 and its section 17 `v In each channel o r guideway 18 is disposed a short Slide or. carrier Q5, which 1s shown in detail in Fig. 8. Each carrier has a small pulley 26 ljournaled in its lower end and projecting into the groove 17b from which it receives the chain 23. In the rear edge of each carrier is provided a vertical groove 25 up thru which the chain passes from the pulley. A cross bar 27 is mounted in the gnideways and has eye bolts 28 eX- tending therethru and receiving the ends of the chains. Wing nuts 29 are mounted on the bolts on top of the bar and by tightening said nuts the slack in the chains is taken up. It will be seen that the chains are looped over the pulleys 24 and under the pulleys 26 and when the upper door 21 is raised the carriers are lowered by reason of the loops of the chains lengthening, below the pulley 24.

An ironing board 30 is hinged to the carriers at its inner end. Angular trunnionbolts 31 have their lateral extensions fulcrumed in the carriers and their vertical portions extending thru the board which is fastened thereon by nuts 32 engaging the upper and lower faces of said board. adjusting the nuts the board is adjusted with relation to its pivot points. For holding the trunnion-bolts in place metal brackets 33 are fastened to the side edges of the board and provided with slots thru which the lateral portions of the bolts pass. In order to assist in the raising of the board from a horizontal position and to cushion the end of the downward swing, a harp spring 34 is coiled about the lateral extension of each bolt. Each spring has one leg fastened to the carrier, as by a staple 35 and the other leg fastened to the board, as by a keeper 36. The springs are arranged so that when the board is folded as in Fig. 2, the tension is practically relieved, but when the board is extended and swung down to its operative position the springs are opened and placed under tension.

lVhen the board is extended its rear side portions engage under stop blocks 37 projecting from the rear strips 16, while said board rests upon the sill 14 and is thus iirinly supported in position,

When the doors are open as is shown in Fig. 1 the doors 21 and 22 are parallel, the upper doors standing directly in front of the lower, but when the doors are raised to close the cabinet, the upper door is above the lower door. To accomplish this the upper door mush move faster than the lower door during the closing operation. A cross bar 38 is mounted on the front side of the lower door under 'the upper door, the lower door being slightly longer. At each side of the lower door small pulleys 39 are housed in the door and bar and project rearwardly into a vertical groove 17c in the strip 17. The pulleys 26 and 39 projecting into the grooves as described, act as guides. Small cords or other ieXible connections 40 are suitably fastened at one end to lower side edges of the upper door and pass under the pulleys to the grooves 17'. rIhese cords pass up said grooves and thru holes in the strips 17 to eye bolts 28 having wing nuts 29 like the bolts 28 and being adjustable to take up the slack in said cords.

Finger notches 21 or equivalents are provided in the opposite ends of the door 21. lilhen the cabinet is closed the ironing board 30 occupies an upright position between the guideways 18 and the channels 19. In the upper portion of the casing a shelf 41 for holding an iron or other articles is provided and the front edge of this shelf is concaved as is shown at 42. T.Vhen the board is raised its upper reduced end will pass thru the concaved portion and by contacting with the edge will be guided outwardly.

`With the doors closed as is shown in Fig. 2, to open the cabinet the fingers are placed in the notch 21 at Athe top of the upper door 21 which is pulled downward. lli/'hen the door 21 begins to move downward the loops of the cord 40 in which the pulleys 39 are supported begin to lower and as these loops support the lowei door it will be lowered at the saine time. However as the chains are double-looped and the cords only single looped the upper door will travel faster than the lower and when the doors are fully lowered the upper door will stand in front of the lower door. This is due to the fact that the lower door is dependent upon the elongation of the cord loops, whereas owing to the double looping of the chains and the single strands of the chains hanging from the pulleys 24 the upper door is permitted to gain upon the lower door.

As the doors descend the carriers are elevated by the chains and the ironing board 30 carried upwardly, its upper end being pushed outwardly by the concaved edge 42` The board swings outwardly over the upper edge of the upper door and as it approaches its horizontal position the springs 34 are brought under tension and act as cushions to some extent. rIhe board is arrested in a horizontal position by engagement with the stop blocks 37 and the sill 14.

To return the board to the cabinet and close the same the board is swung upwardly, in which the springs assist, whereby the carriers are started downwardly and the doors raised above the sill. After the board has been swung into the casing, the closing operation may be completed by moving the door 21 upwardly.

I have shown a metal pocket 43 set into the rear or inner end of the board and shaped to receive an iron (not shown). rlhe iron may be laid upon its side in said pocket and being on the inner side of the pivots of the board, will aid in lifting the board from its liorizontal position. But it is to be expressly understood that said pocket may be omitted or any other kind of weight substituted or used in any convenient place.

Various changes in the size and arrangement of the various parts as well as modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

What I cla-im, is:

l. In an ironing board cabinet, a casing having a horizontal support at the front, an ironing board movably mounted therein, a sliding door, a flexible looped connection secured at one end to the casing above said support and at its opposite end t-o the door, and bearings upon the inner end of the Vboard and the upper portion. of the casing for the oppositely looped portions of said connection, whereby the board and door are operated conjointly.

2. In an ironing board cabinet, a casing having a horizontal support at the front, an ironing board pivotally and slidingly mounted therein, a sliding door, a flexible looped connection secured at one end to the casing above said support and at its opposite end to the upper portion of the doo-r, bearings upon the inner end of the board and upper portion of the casing for the oppositely looped portions of said connection arranged to raise and unfold the board outwardly when the door is opened, and a spring element connected to the board at its pivot and tensioned in such unfolding movement to compensate for the weight of the board and assist in returning the board to its enclosed position.

3. In an ironing board cabinet, a casing, an ironing board slidable and foldable into the casing, a pair of sliding doors for closing the cabinet, a. pair of double looped flexible connections attached. to the casing and the upper door, the ironing board being supported in one of the loops, bearings upon said board and casing for theloops of the connections and a pair of single looped liexible connections attached to the casing and the upper door, the lower door being supported in the loops of the single c0nnec tions.

l. In an ironing board cabinet, a casing having opposed guideways and opposed channels, carriers slidable in the guideways, upper and lower doors, slidable in the channels, .an ironing board pivoted to the carriers, pulleys on the carriers and at the upper end of the casing, a pair of flexible connections attached at one end to the casing and at-the other end to the upper door, the intermediate portions of said connections being looped around the said pulleys, and a second pair of flexible connections attached at one end to the casing and at the other end to the upper door and looped around pulleys on the lower door.

5. In an ironing board cabinet, a casing, an ironing board slidable in the casing, a pair of slidable doors, and means attached to said casing and connected with said doors and said board for sliding said doors into parallel relation at the bottom of the casing and elevating the lower end of the board, whereby said board may be swung out over said doors.

6. In an ironing board cabinet, a casing, an ironing board slidable in the casing, a pair of vertically slidable doors in superposed relation, a pair of double looped fiexible connections having one end stationary in the cabinet and supporting the board in one of the loops and attached to one of the doors, pulleys in the cabinet supporting the other loop, a pair of single looped flexible connections having one end stat-ionary in the cabinet and supporting the other one of the doors in its loop and attached to the first mentioned door.

7. In an ironing board cabinet, a casing, an ironing board slidable and foldable into the casing, a pair of doors slidable upon each other for closing the casing, a double looped flexible connection attached to the casing and upper door, bearings upon said board and casing for the loops of said con nection, a single loop flexible connection attached to the casing and the upper door, and a bearing upon the lower door supported in the loop of said single connection.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

CHARLEY D. AGEE. 

